How to Draw an African Porcupine - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Let's draw an African porcupine! For the head, draw a small letter V for the face, then trace long lines that curl toward the back, all along the top of the head. Add a very short line at the tip of the face for the snout.

Step 3: Trace a long line going across and down the back. From there, you are going to trace long lines that curl back along the length of the back. Here's a hint: the lines don't all have to be the same size!

Interesting Facts about the African Porcupine

The African porcupine belongs to the rodent family, just like squirrels, mice and rats. It makes its home in North and Northwest Africa, just like its name suggests. It usually grows to be about two to three feet long, and it typically weighs between 30 and 60 lbs.

Did you know?

The African Porcupine eats a lot of stuff that you would find on the ground, like roots and bulbs. It also likes to eat fruit.

The average lifespan of an African Porcupine is 15 years.

When the African Porcupine feels threatened, it raises up and then rattles its quills to try and scare off whatever may be scaring it. If that doesn’t work, it will try to stick the predator with its quills. Unlike other porcupines, the African Porcupine does not shoot its quills.

One thing most rodents have in common is that their teeth continue to grow. If the African Porcupine did not chew on branches or bones, its teeth would grow to be too long for its mouth!

You may not think so to look at them, but African Porcupines are actually really good at swimming! They also have an amazing sense of hearing, but that’s because their eyesight is so bad.